Forebrain Flashcards
What does the forebrain constitute of?
Diencephalon and telencephalon
What are the subdivisions of the diencephalon?
Thalamus, hypothalamus and epithalamus (with pineal gland and habenula)
Describe the structures of the ventral surface of the diencephalon.
Optic nerve, optic chiasm, pituitary stalk, mammillary bodies
What is the largest part of the diencephalon?
The thalamus (gray metter)
What structure is the thalamus part of forming?
The lateral wall of the 3rd ventricle
True or false: the thalamus consists of one big nuclus.
False: is divided into seperate groups of nuclei, e.g., medial, anterior, lateral and metathalamus
What does the internal capsule cover, and what is it?
White matter.
anterior limb, genu and posterior limb
What are the corona radiata, and where is it located?
Thalamo-cortical fibers, located superior to the internal capsule
Where is the internal capsule located?
Surrounding the thalamus.
Which is the most caudal: the epi- or the hypothalamus?
Epithalamus
Describe the subdivisions of the hypothalamus.
From most rostral to most caudal: Supraoptic area, tuberal area and mammillary area
How would you identify a coronal section of the supraoptic area compared to the tuberal?
By the optic chiasm under the third ventricle
What are the functions of the nucleus paraventricularis?
Endocrine and autonomic
What are the function of the suprachiasmatic nucleus?
Circadian rhythm
What are the function of the supraoptic nucleus?
endocrine
Where are the hormones produced by hypothalamic neurons transported to?
The pituitary
Where does the hypothalamus get input from?
Sensort input from inner organs, the retina (circadian rhythm), the limbic system
Where does the hypothalamus signal to?
The limbic system, the autonomic nervous system, and the pituitary
What does the pineal gland do?
Produce melatonin during nighttime
What is the pineal gland part of?
The epithalamus
What is the cerebral cortex?
The superficial part of the telencephalon
What are the subdivisions of the telencephalon?
The basal ganglia and the cerebral cortex
How many lobes are the hemipheres divided into?
4: the parietal-, frontal-, temporal- and the occipital lobe
What are the gyrus located above the corpus callosum called?
cingulate gyrus
What are the three motor areas of the frontal lobe?
Prefrontal cortex, promotor- and primary motor cortex
What are the three sensory areas of the cerebral cortex, and where are they located?
Somatosensory- (parietal), primary auditory- (temporal) and primary visual cortex (occiptal)
How many layers does most parts of the cerebral cortex contain (the neocortex)?
6
What is the insula?
A cortical area deep in the lateral sulcus
What is the hippocampus?
A small allocortical part of the cerebral cortex
What shape does the hippocampus resemble?
A seahorse
Which ventricle are located above the hippocampus?
The lateral ventricle
Where are the human hippocampus located, and where are the rat hippocampus located?
Human: Ventral part of the telencephalon
Rat: More dorsal part of the telencephalon
What are some of the connections of the hippocampus?
Basal ganglia (through fornix), mammillary body
Where is the fornix located, and what is it shaped like?
Above the thalamus, shaped like a C
What are the olfactory bulbs a part of?
The cerebral cortex
What is the basal ganglia?
Large nuclei deep in the telencephalon
Describe the classical subdivision of the BG.
Striatum: caudate nucleus + putaman
Lentiform nucleus: putaman + globus pallidus
What does the classical BG control?
Complex motor functions
Describe the classical BG pathway of complex motor functions.
Motor cortex –> striatum –> globus pallidus –> thalamus –> motor cortex –> corticospinal tract –> spinal cord
Where is the amygdala located?
Rostral to the hippocampus
Describe the basal forebrain.
Nucleus accumbens, nucleus basalis and septal nuclei
Describe the limbic forebrain.
Hippocampus, fornix, thalamus, hypothalamus, amygdala
